Compartmented one-piece billfold construction provided with window opening



June 15, 1948. LAMPERT 2,443,392

COMPARTMENTED ONE-PIECE BILL FOLD CONSTRUCTION PROVIDED WITH WINDOW OPENING 7 Filed Dec. 6, 1945 Patented June 15, 1948 .Mds lnvntion relates -130 an improved Wallet, :or hi-lirold, #and "has for one of its i principal obljfects thelprovision ot :a "device "of the class ne- ='scribed; which'will enable the user to more conveniently carrymoney; particularly.papen'inoney,

While: at the :-same time providing. adequate v in- -:surance forits safe retention.

Gne fofthe important objects of this invention is-thewprovisioniof a wallet, or moneycardevice, particularly adapted for handling bi-lls,;or paper money; wherein the bills-"whamm- {sorted in --the wallet, '01 billfold; and after the wallet, or billfoldg-is folded in the usual manner, nemai-n-onthe outside face of the wallet, or b N fold, so as to be readilyaccessible toitheuser. Another and I further important object of *the ention isthe provision of a billfold, for-,carrig paper money, wherein bills-of smaller denomination can -be safely carried Ont-he outer face, or sides, of the billfold, for ready access, whileat thesome-time bills of larger denominationsba'n be stored in an interior compartment, rendering the same less accessible and also enabling the user to differentiate betweensaidlarge 'a'liid srnalfbillsisln that mistakes will be avoided. Other and further importantobjects of the invention {will be apparent from the disclosures in the accompanying drawings and following specification.

The =-mvennon, in a preferred form, is villustrated "in ith'e "drawings and "hereinafter more fullynesc'ribed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 illustrates the two portions of the improved wallet, or billfoldgof this invention, showing the "same in pre fo'rme'd blanked- 011i; shape;

Figure 2 is a view of the large blank of Figure 1 showing the same folded in preliminary fashion and illustrating one method of assembly.

Figure 3 shows the complete wallet, or billfold, lying flat and with paper money, or the like, therein in the proper compartments and retaining means.

Figure 4 shows the completed wallet, with money therein, folded and ready for use.

Figure 5 illustrates the reverse face of the billfold, shown in Figure 4.

As shown in the drawings:

The reference numeral l0 indicates, generally, the blank from which the improved Wallet, or billfold, of this invention is constructed and 0bviously it may be of leather, impregnated fabric, plasticized cloth or other material, or any synthetic material or combination thereof, dependarms the back or the wallet; and integral-thereis an'ot'l ie'r"portion -l-2, 'which forms the front tio'n oft'hbillfold. hehaok'portion i0 an i integral-end*ex-- tension-i4 and 'the end opposite this-extension projects beyond the portion '12; as shownat m'a, and terminates in sidewise tabs I 6 "and "I I having aprojecti-ng-edge i'8 therebe'twe'en.

'One *side' of the body 112" has an integral 1onituamar tab or edge i 23 which, however termh nates short of one end of this portion"i 2;a ll as best shown inFigures land 2.

*A"siit'f2 2 is 'in'aideinthebody portion it atitne poi'nt'shown in Figure-s1 and "2, andfour slits'are into the body portion l2," these being indieat-e"d-at 24-'-26- 2e amino. The slits'24-"2'6' and 28" are lof'abpibximat'lj the same length as the "Slit 22fwhile the slit fll'is longer. 'I he 'body portio'n I'll has an integral edge portion '32 similar 'to T'iflie 'dge.20 Io'f the body portion T I 2, although,

somewhat longer. I v y '."?Ihe: method of. assembly of the device is illustrated in 'Figure 2 and this shows the .end element H bennupwardly and the end of the-main body portion 10 also bent upwardly along lines correspon'ding'withthe ends of-the body portion .i2t-andztheedge 2'of--tl'ie-- body portion |-0.is also bent upwardlm, -At the same time, the tabs I6 and ,l 7;, are; similarly "bent upwardly along the dashlines shown in Figure '1 and the edge-i8 likewisebent upwardly. The edge portion -20 is folded inwardly-about the dash-dine shown in i-Figure lwand the edge portion 32iflis-foldedi-las illustrated The "edge *2 0 0E the body, portion? 4 2 is first folded downwardly onto the portion l2 and cemented into position forming a double thickness edge to insure against Wear. The edge 32 is likewise folded over and cemented.

The extension I4 is then folded into position over the back of the body portion I2 and the tab integral with this extension l4 inserted through the slit 30. It will be noted that the tab has inwardly extendin slits 40 adjacent its. ends which enable of a locking relationship with the ends of the slit 30. This extension I4 is then cemented into position.

The extension Illa of the main body portion I0 is then folded into position over the corresponding end of the body portion l2 and the tab 16 is inserted in the slit 24 in the body portion I2 after the extension 16 has been folded around 3 that edge of the body portion l2, which does not include the edge portion 20.

The other tab [1 is then brought around the back of the substantially completed wallet, or billfold, inserted in the slit 22 in the body portion I 0, and cemented into position.

The strap 42 is then placed in position by passing it through the two slits 26 and 28 and then out through the slit 44 after which it is brought around the front portion 12 of the wallet, or :billfold. The strap 42 is provided with snap fastener elements 46 and 48 and these snap elements 46 and 48 are brought together in a customary manner, thereby joining the strap into a retaining element for bills 50 as best shown in Figures 3 and 4. The snap element can obviously be readily loosened so that bills can be placed in the wallet, or billfold, after which it is folded into the position shown in Figures 4 and 5 with one end of the contained bills in the pocket formed by the turned over element I Ila.

In this manner the retained bills .are very readily accessible and all that is necessary for the user to dispense a bill is to keep the wallet, or billfold, in its folded position, grasp the'juxtaposed ends in one hand without touching the bill and withdraw the bill from the billfold, with the other hand. The bills will come off singly and readily. At the same time, a pocket is provided for other bills, such as bills of larger denominations, this pocket being formed by the folded elements I0 and I2. This pocket is closed at the ends so that bills placed therein will not be liable to be lost.

It will be seen that herein is provided a money container, which embodies an entirely new principle, in that some or all of the contained bills may be carried on the outside thereof, providing for ready access thereto, while at the same time, the money is securely retained in position, one end being under the strap 42 and the other end being tucked in the pocket I011. The money can be withdrawn from the wallet, or billfold, without unfolding it and the bills can be withdrawn singly or in groups as desired. Other bills may be carried in the pocket of the wallet, or billfold, and this is preferably used to contain bills of larger denominations, whereby the possibility of confusion and loss is avoided. Money may be withdrawn from the wallet, without removing the same from the users pocket, which provides a security feature sometimes greatly to be desired.

In the event that bills of more than one denomination are held in the billfold on the outer face thereof, and beneath the strap 42 and the user desires to withdraw bills other than those on top, this can easily be done by unfolding the billfold into the position shown in Figure 3, whereupon 4 bills beneath the topmost one can readily be withdrawn in an obvious manner.

Additional pockets can obviously be built into the billfold of this invention for containing identification cards, or the like, and a coin container may also be included, if desired.

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction varied throughout a. wide range without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than as necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

A foldable billfold formed from a single blank of flexible material and including an inner wall, an outer wall folded upon said inner wall about a longitudinal medial line, to form a receptacle for bills, an end extension at one end of said inner wall folded upon said folded outer wall, means to secure said extension to the outer wall, a second end extension at the other end of said inner Wall, said second extension being of a width equal to the width of the inner wall, sidewise tabs on said second extension, one of said tabs being foldable about the longitudinal line of fold and having means secured to said inner wall, the other of said tabs being foldable over the free longitudinal edge of the outer wall and having means secured to said outer wall, said second extension together with the outer wall thus forming a pockethaving a width substantially equal to that of the billfold and of a depth sufficient to receive end portions of other bills, the rest of said other bills being exposed to view, a strap encircling the opposite end of the bill fold remote from the pocket and snap fasteners for releasably fastening the strap ends, whereby the exposed bills are securely retained in position on the outer wall, with their end portions being retained in the pocket and under the strap, respectively.

LOUIS LAMPERT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Germany Oct. 31, 1923 

